Under The Tuscan Parasol
by Thisbee08
Summary: It's six years after the Final Battle and Harry and Co. are going to Tuscany. A take on a bunch of different stories mixed together, from the POV of most of the characters. H/G?, Hg/R, G/OC?.
1. Harry and Co

_A/N - Everything Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling. _

To see pictures of Farmhouse/Villa go to profile :)

* * *

_**Under the Tuscan Parasol**_

___Sbagliando s'impara_ (One learns from his mistakes)

The lush green Tuscan hills rolled by as the car drove out of Colle Val d'Elsa and into sparser parts of Italy. The boy at the wheel mussed up his raven hair once again, stressing over which off road track to take to Le Porciglia – the villa he and his friends, who were piled into the car, were staying at for a few weeks.

"George, get your feet off me!"

"Get your self out from underneath my feet!"

"Stop fidgeting, every single moves put's me in a less comfortable position."

"Sorry 'Mione"

"Yeah sorrrry Mione."

"Shut up!

"You shut up!"

"Guys! Stop. Seriously"

Everyone quietened down after Harry bellowed at them. They're placid friend could be intimidating at times.

Ginny, who sat in the passenger seat, not talking the entire trip, pointed ahead.

"Is that it? It's the only place I've seen since Lano."

Harry turned the car to the right and started up the pale drive towards a large stone villa. The gravel crunched beneath the wheels as Harry turned into a spot to park. Everyone piled out of the car and began stretching their cramped up limbs.

"Harry, it's beautiful," breathed Hermione.

Everyone agreed and started unpacking their luggage from the car as a primmed lady of about 46 exited the house.

"Darling, you must be Harry! The name's Iris, the owner, so pleased to meet you."

Harry shook her hand as she continued, "Now, the housekeeper just turned up so I'll be staying for a bit to run through some things with her, but you're free to the whole house. And then I'll get out of your way. Now, I'm sure you know this but there are 3 double bedrooms, two with ensuites, a guest house with kitchenette and ensuite, and a room with two bunk beds. I got your message and the kitchen is stocked, the pool is at a good temperature, and there is spare linen in all rooms."

Iris left before Harry could thank her.

"Shall we?" he turned and asked the group, who were staring around them at the villa.

They entered the converted farmhouse into the living room. The room was of cream and brown, with a little balcony coming out from a room upstairs. Three arches connected the living room to a long dining room, with another three arches connecting that to the large Italian kitchen.

"So, shall we allocate bedrooms?" Hermione asked.

Ron and George groaned, "you make it sound like a chore."

"Well it has to be resolved, doesn't it" she snapped back, narrowing her eyes at Ron.

"Guys, come one, we just got here. Iris said there were 3 bedrooms and a pool house." said Harry.

"I'll take the pool house." said Ginny, who started dragging her luggage onto the terrace.

Harry watched her leave, "Oh, kay," he mumbled. He turned around to see Ron and George racing each other up the light brown stairs. He followed Hermione into the room behind the living room, and up he stairs, to come onto the walkway that could be seen from downstairs. To the right was the room without the ensuite, which George took. Hermione, Ron and Harry walked to the left, along the walkway, and came to two doors; to the left was a master bedroom facing out across the pool and gardens, to the right was the second master bedroom, but smaller.

"You take the bigger room, you're paying for all this," said Hermione as she put all of Ron and her own luggage into the second bedroom.

Harry dumped his bags on the bed with the gold bed head and walked to the window. He opened the white painted shutters and gazed onto the grounds of the villa. Below him was the terrace, with a path, surrounded by bushes of lavender and shrubs, weaving its way towards the infinity edge pool. On the edge of the terrace was an undercover seating area, and off that Harry could see Ginny unpacking her stuff in the pool house.

He sighed, six years of avoidance, hardly talking. He and Ginny were back to the start, they were hardly friends.

* * *

George walked downstairs and through the living room, heading to the kitchen, hopefully to find some food.

"What is this?"

George stopped walking after he heard the muffled voice of a girl coming from the kitchen. Tentatively he walked towards the person as they created a racket with pots and utensils.

"Argh!" she groaned in frustration, "maybe, it goes like this…"

George stepped around an arch, just as the girl shrieked, and right into the path of flying food.


	2. Meet Collins

_A/N - J.K owns everything except the house. :)_

_If you want to see the house,farmhouse,villa, go to the link on my profile._

_Read on._

* * *

**Meet Collins**

"So, I was thinking we go out and celebrate you becoming partner tonight."

I turned around after I locked my office door and started walking with Guy, my best friend at Capper Orion.

"I'm not a partner yet Guy, they tell us tomorrow."

Guy put his hand on my shoulder and stopped me from walking.

"Oh but you have been made a partner. I'm just not meant to tell anyone."

I stared at him, "No way."

He nodded, his grin widening, "Congratulations!" he hugged me, but then said in a hushed voice, "But you can't tell anyone. Got it Collins?"

I nodded. Everything I'd done had gone towards being made a partner at Capper Orion, the Wizarding world's biggest law firm. I was the firm's youngest attorney, at 26. Sounds impossible, huh, but because of the war they were struggling, and shone. 5 years of early mornings and late nights, stress deadlines and such and such, and now, it had all payed off.

I got on the elevator, leaving the office in a daze. The usual exit was clogged with other workers leaving so I decided to use the Floo network. I've only ever used the floo network once or twice and didn't like it. I headed into the room, somewhat like the Ministry's Floo room, and stepped into a fireplace and was whisked away.

I groaned. _Why was it so bright?_

I got up from my hands and knees and looked around. This certainly did not look like my living room, one, there were hills, trees and a road. I looked around me and recognized the platform I was standing on was a train station, but it was empty and small. I walked out to the front of the station and saw a family packing up their car. A train must've just left.

"Dear! Hello there."

My neck cricked painfully as I whipped my head around to the caller. A lady dressed in classy clothes was rushing towards me with; I'm guessing her husband, trailing behind.

_Oh good, I can ask them where I am._

"Hello, I'm Collins Monroe…"

"Yes dear, now, all set, we'll take you up to the villa and you can get all acquainted."

_What? What was this woman going on about?_

"I…"

"Come now, quickly, the new guests will be arriving shortly."

Confused, I walked back to her car and hopped in.

"Now, you'll be at the villa for 5 hours a day doing the everyday stuff, and then you will come back to our house which is just down the hill, short walking distance for the rest. You will cook, clean, iron, dust, and answer to the guest, and to myself and Charles when you're at our home."

I opened my mouth to reply when I saw a sign saying "Colle Val d'Elsa".

_That couldn't be? Oh god, I can't be in Italy._

"Collins dear? Did you hear me?" said … oh I don't know her name. How do I get this out of her?

"Yes…mam?... If you don't mind me saying but, you're English."

Charles chuckled from the driving seat, "Thank you for stating that, I was never quite sure myself."

I smiled. Despite being in a foreign country and lost, Charles seemed like a funny man with silvery hair.

"Patricia and I decided we'd like to convert a farmhouse in Tuscany and to rent it out, after I sold my company." he explained.

_What an odd ambition. Still, I had a way of getting their names off them. Here goes._

"And um, what would you like me to call you? Patricia, Charles or Mrs.…"

Patricia cut in front of me, "Oh if you would dear, call me Mrs. Nevis."

_Excellent, Collins._

I realized Mrs. Nevis was still talking, "…and so as Housekeeper…"

_If it was possible, I would've fallen of my chair, but WHAT? Oh no, what have I gotten myself into._

We arrived at a beautiful stone converted farmhouse, and got out of the car.

"Now, I'll give you a grand tour. Living room, dining room, kitchen down there. Upstairs now, guest bedroom, down here, master bedroom, master bedroom, both with ensuites, don't forget. Let's go onto the terrace. Now, the pool needs the cover on it at night, its electric so just press the button. Parasol goes up in the morning, down at night. Pool house through there with bathroom. Now, kitchen, it's your domain, so get acquainted. Where did you say you were trained?" Mrs. Nevis stopped and turned to face me as I stared in horror at this beautiful kitchen, it looked so…. Italian!

My face took on another look of horror as I realized she was asking where I trained. _Surely she can't be a wizard. I'll have to take my chances._

Putting on my best attorney voice, pulling out some of that courage that had hidden away since I arrived, I spoke up, "I've trained at Capper Orion for 5 years, mam."

_I'm not lying. I can say I misunderstood if she is a witch._

She thought for a second, "Never heard of it" – I swear I must've deflated so fast from the breath I was holding in – "Prestigious is it?"

"Oh, only the best, mam," I replied.

"Where is Capper Orion?"

_Shit! She's English, she'll know… English culinary places. Crap._

"It's ah, in ….. Australia."

_Australia? Seriously, Collins?_

"5 years. That's a long time. I'm surprised you don't have an accent." She said thoughtfully.

"I mask it well. While I was there it was all 'G'day Mate' and 'Tucker'," I explained.

_What? Australian's don't talk like that. That what people think they talk like…_

Recognition crossed Mrs. Nevis' face, "Oh yes, obviously."

_…And apparently Mrs. Nevis thinks so too._

"Well," she said, slapping her hands on the counter, "I'll leave you to making a nice large Italian Vongole, or Tiramisu for the guests to feel welcomed to Italy."

I stared in shock as Mrs. Nevis left.

_What the hell is a Vongolly, or Vongali, or argh! And how the hell am I meant to make it? I'm an attorney, I don't even know how to make toast!_

Deciding to try something, I opened all the cupboards to find a pot or something and some food. Pasta shouldn't be hard enough; it's just pasta and sauce.

I picked something up from out of a drawer and stared at it.

_Well, it's got a button, so it's mechanical, easy enough. But what does it do?_

I poured some tomato sauce into a pot and stuck the thing in it. Nothing.

"What I this?" I shouted in frustration.

I put it back into the pot and moved it around. A stirrer perhaps?

"Argh!" Then it occurred to me. _It has button, and it stirs. I put the thing to the top of the sauce so it was touching._

"Maybe it goes like this…" I pressed the button…

And screamed as tomato sauce went flying everywhere, especially onto the man that just came _from behind the arch._


End file.
